The Labor enquirer., 1887-09-03
mary Of Socialism is to be found,
in my humble judgment, one fully

| IA0t ~ 0OSioiISiA 10 W US AOuuOs
in my humble judgment. one fully
developed grain of truth. It is
the quoted criticism by a we'll
known Socialist, Mr.. Frederick
Engels, to the effect that Mr..
George belongs to the bourgeoisie
school Of political economy; that
the George theory is but the "un-
earned increment" of Mill, stated
in more glowing language, says
the Socialist, "a mere branch"
"in the Upas tree of robbery, the
root of which is the selfish indi-
vidualiStic tenet that man has
Fright to profit by his neighbor's
wants" "Nay, but the root ITSELF"
says Mr.. George; "a detail which
is in itself principle"
That the earth was given for the
wants of man; that it is the joint
property of the human race, all
man-made laws to the contrary
notwithstanding-here is a grand
principle on which we are all
agreed, beneath whose banner we
would all fight to the death in the
new crusade. This truth, voiced
so gallantly in every country by
the Socialists, Mr.. George firmly
grasped; beyond this his ortho-
dox, bourgeoisie sympathies have
not permitted him to 60. He has
never joined the Socialists in their
recognition of the moral truth that
for the race as a whole, as for the
individual unit, the question of
life or death is the question of
whether it uses or abuses the gifts
of nature; uses them unselhshly
for the enhancement and develop
ment of life, or uses them sordidly
for the sake of individual gain. A
somewhat important question /
opine, and one that must of neces-
sity be considered the moment it
is granted that the title to the soil
is in the human race. For if the
land is the peoples, it is they who
must say how it shall be admins
tered; and on their method of ad-
ministration depends civilization
the life or death of the nations
yet to come. Surely a serious
question Mr.. George; surely a
question not of mere childish
ness" but one worthy of the pro-
fessional teachers of the golden
rule whom you have been SO as
siduously courting. The Social
lists have recognized from the
first the sanctity of the golden
rule, and based themselves on the
divine brotherhood of man, to as
sert which they died by thousands
long before your pulpit orators
thought the times ripe for its safe
assertion. That is the grand truth
that Socialism has sent circling
round the world, and you know it
right we'll. Their glory is that
they have died, and are dying to-
day, for insisting that the golden
rule shall be, not the daily plati-
tude of mouthing priests, but the
momentary rule of actual life.
They propose notmly that mankind
shall come to its estate, but that it
shall administer it aUorAh,ly, as
equal brothers united in one /glo-
rious work-the development of
1.-The land for the elevation of the
human race. The Catholic church
the church of Edward McGlynn
dreamed of this in its better
days, and sought to realize its
dream by the iron hand of author
lity; Bismarck attempted to revive
the dream, and German Socialists
have fought him to the death, in
sisting as has been our creed, that
the development must be at the
hands of free and equal partners
and not at those of driven slaves.
These thoughts are to you "mere
childishness," "ihountains of
chaf with here and there grain
of truth"-as, for instance, that
the telegraph can be better admin
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